1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the field of wire carrying spools of the kind whereon wire, such as copper electrical wire, is wound in layers upon the spool for storing, transporting, and dispensing, and in particular to the field of apparatus which may be used to manually transports the spool from the storage location to a position for use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common practice in the construction and electrician industry to use large spools of copper wire that have been wound about the outer diameter of a spool barrel in successive layers to provide for storage, transport, and dispensing at the use station of the wire. Typically, the wire is wound on a spool at a wire-manufacturing station or site, the spool is then placed in a transporting vehicle, and is removed from the vehicle at a storage location or use site. It is necessary then to move the spool from the vehicle or storage location and transport it to the actual place of work.
In the past, handles have been provided on one end of the spools for manually carrying and positioning the spools. However, when the spools are of a weight exceeding one hundred pounds, manual transport becomes difficult and cumbersome. Generally, workers on site will use a variety of manual methods to transport the spool. If the worker is strong enough, the spool can be carried on the users shoulder. Alternatively, users will try to kick the spool short distances or lean over and push the spool the entire distance to the work site. All of these methods exhaust substantial amounts of energy that the user would prefer to devote to other tasks. In many instances, the use of these manual methods have caused injuries, such as lower back strain, and stubbed toes.
3. Objects and Advantages
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a wire spool caddy that has a solid, sturdy construction that has sufficient strength to withstand the forces imparted on it. Although the caddy could be made from a variety of materials, such as various plastics, metals, or composites, the preferred embodiment of this invention is built from welded steel. Steel provides sufficient strength and durability for the caddy, which must be able to withstand the load, strain, and torque forces that are generated from transporting wire spools that often weigh in excess of 100 pounds.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wire caddy that has a simple but reliably effective means for retaining the spools on the during the transport process. This present invention has a small cap on the end of the axis of the caddy on which spool rotates. This cap, which is larger in diameter that the axis of the caddy, prevents the spool from sliding of the caddy when force is applied. This cap can be welded to the caddy or in another embodiment, it can screw on the end of the caddy's axis.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a chair that is easy to manufacture and is relatively inexpensive. In the preferred embodiment, the wire spool caddy can be constructed from off the shelf steel pipe, which can be easily cut and then welded into the appropriate configuration. The lack of any custom parts and inexpensive nature of the materials used in constructing the present invention ensures that the wire caddy can be constructed economically.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a chair that can simply and easily aid in the transport of a wire spool from one location to another. By inserting the caddy into the hollow axis of the spool, the user is able to take advantage of circular body of the spool, to create a wheel and axis. The user can than apply a relatively small amount of force to the handle and then roll the spool to its destination. The large handle of the caddy allows the user to apply torque along the length of the caddy's body to the spool, giving the user a means to steer the wire spool as it is pushed to its destination.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a chair that requires no assembly on site.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.